When this couple reached out to me about photographing their colorful wedding at Oregon Donkey Sanctuary, I was immediately excited! I mean, does anything sound cuter than a venue full of donkeys?!

Colorful Wedding at Oregon Donkey Sanctuary

Although the sanctuary is not typically a wedding venue, these two are volunteers there and it is a very special place to them. It was pretty perfect!

I started the day photographing some of the details around the space, including tons of donkey pics of course! Then the groom got ready with the help of his dad and a good friend. The bride got ready at their home which was just a few minutes away. Once she arrived, I photographed their first look in the sunflower field, which was gorgeous. It was such a sweet moment between the two of them. We did a few portraits and then headed over to the ceremony spot!

A Magical Forest Ceremony

Aside from all the adorable donkeys roaming around, there was a beautiful space in the woods where the couple held the ceremony. It was a magical little shady space with gorgeous old trees and lots of ferns. They had hay bales set up for the seating and hung tons of colorful details from the trees which I loved. The couple spent all summer growing roses and other flowers, and the bride’s sister made all the arrangements. They looked amazing!

Their friend was the officiant, and the couple included their sweet dog in the ceremony as well. The bride is a Montessori teacher and invited all of her students and their parents. So, of course, there were tons of kids running around having a fun time also!

After some family portrait time, everyone visited with the donkeys, danced to some live bluegrass by Free Range, and ate pizza from my personal favorite pizza joint, Ranch Pizza. So happy I got to be a part of this special day!

The Vendors

Venue – Oregon Donkey Sanctuary

Florist – Bride’s Sister

Photographer – Crystal Genes Photography

Musicians – Free Range

Catering – Ranch Pizza